Design Layout of a High Power Density Range Extender for Hybrid Vehicles and preliminary virtual validation

In the present work, the layout design of a high power density engine for range extender application in hybrid vehicles is introduced. After a brief overview of the legislative framework, the input data for the design are provided. In the following, the attention is on the first design of crankshaft, bearings and connecting rod. The methodology followed for crankshaft and connecting rod design is the same: the starting point is a CAD based on geometrical considerations, to assess the feasibility of the desired design. The first step is then the choice of the appropriate material for the component, followed by a fatigue calculation of the component. In the case of the connecting rod, also other static verifications are conducted. On the topic of crankshaft design, special attention is also paid to the assembly procedure of the component, which is designed to be dismountable. In the end, the final proposed design for both components is introduced and CAD models are shown. The bearing design has been carried out using Ricardo ENGDYN, which has allowed to build several model with increasing complexity level to finally get to a robust result.